But Roman declined to get into details over why the 49ers, from their own 17-yard line with just over three minutes left, had Colin Kaepernick attempt an ill-fated toss to Ted Ginn Jr. that resulted in a Rams’ fumble recovery and tying touchdown.

“I’m not going to get into X’s and O’s,” Roman said Thursday. “The result was not the intent of the play call.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh has repeatedly stepped forward this week and taken the blame for what he admitted was too risky a call at that point in the game, with the 49ers ahead 10-2.

Roman, the 49ers’ primary play caller, said of his duties: “Any play you call, bad things can happen … and great things can happen.”

When reviewing past calls, Roman noted that he judges the play’s intent and who’s asked to do what on it. Roman sounds willing to again tap into Kaepernick’s talent of running read-option plays in the “WildKap.”

“I do think it has a role relative to who you’re playing against,” Roman added. “Pittsburghran one against the Packers in the Super Bowl. … Those kind of plays put pressure on defenses. It all comes down to execution.”

Post navigation

Really? Let’s go into the absolute stupidity of the play. Let’s go into the 49er
offensive philosophy that was established in 2011 and continued in 2012.

Based on that, that play DOES NOT GET CALLED!

Maybe if you’re Dallas. Maybe if you’re shooting from the hip. But if you are the 49ers, you hand off the ball and run straight ahead. Case closed.

Being an arrogant S.O.B. does not win games for you.

FYI the freakin’ option is a gimmick. Get over it already. Why don’t you work on throwing the ball down the field to Randy Moss.

lLorenl

Does Roman think Ted Gin had GORILLA GLUE ON HIS FINGERS ?……….COME ON BIG BOY ….YOU WOULD NOT INSTALL THAT PLAY NEVER AGAIN……!!!…….WOULD YOU GO AHEAD …GO FOR IT ON FOURTH FROM YOUR OWN SEVENTEEN ???…FROM YOUR OWN EnD ZONE ??? Ever heard the word WHAT IF ???…….the opposing team players are NO BOZOS !!!!

bobswire

Pretty obvious who the arrogant SOB is and it’s not Roman, get a clue.
Roman is right , had the play developed as planned he’d be referred to being brilliant but any miscue,interception, fumble whatever you monday morning quarterback’s come out of the woodwork pretending to know football.

Loren

BEING CREATIVE OR STUPID ?…..or DISORIENTED ..?……my eight year old call it STUPID ….he saiid YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN RED ZONE NOT ON THE OTHER GUYS RED ZONE……i bought him a FREE WHOPPER FOR HIS WISE THOGHT !!!..Hadda BOY !!!…..I WAS THINKING REPLACING ROMAN with him :).

JonJonny

I love how some fans think its just as easy as “Just throw it down the field to Randy Moss”. This is not Randy Moss from the Viking days. Just cause he used to be a throw the ball deep and let him catch it type of guy does not mean he still is. I’m pretty sure they brought him in with that purpose in mind and in games it just doesn’t happen. I trust that our coaches and our players know more about football than armchair QBs eating cheetos.

chunky

Meh, more an issue of questionable timing on the ill-fated option-pitch, as opposed to the call itself. That, and that Ted Ginn is asked to do anything more than clear safeties on ‘go’ routes and catch punts is beyond me; the man is simply a track star miscast as a football player.

I’m more interested in why Roman’s playcalling resembled Kaepernick’s mesozoic pet turtle in OT after the team had been gifted a near-midfield shanked punt?

Why the ‘giveaway’ dives up the middle late in the game? Hard to figure, especially considering Frank was obviously favoring his shoulder and that the Rams’ D-line was quicker and more physical than our O-line off the snap for the better part of 3+ quarters? I shudder to think of our playoff chances with Frank nicked up again and no Kendall Hunter there to pick up the slack.

Why not take advantage of the 10+ yard cushions the Rams’ DBs were giving our receivers to ensure more of a ‘chip shot’ FG attempt for a placekicker struggling to find consistency with any chances past 40 yards??

Point being, this was an abysmally called game from Roman and the evidence extends further beyond the silliness of the option toss gone wrong. If Kaepernick’s skillets allows you to challenge all levels of the defense, it would serve well to gameplan accordingly and stop with the “play not to lose” mentality.

Ninerdawg

Good post Chunky!!

chunky

last rant — any thought of incorporating the screen pass when our O-line is having issues with pass protection? Even executing a 2-3 of those would have slowed down the ferocity of pressure Kap faced most of the game and likely opened things up a bit.

Josh

O-line is having troubles improvising with Kaep’s scrambling. It’s not exactly normal to have a guy run all around in the current 49er state of playing. I expect more holding calls as Kaep extends plays. The best solution is for Kaep to pick a target and shoot it down field within a second or two, not create an opportunity for the O-line to hold by scrambling all around. Criticize Alex all you want, but checking down, throwing the ball away, and sometimes just taking a sack is better than, say, earning a safety… Jim preaches ball security, but Kaep is not very cautious with the ball in his hands. The pitch was easy. Boneheaded mistake. I don’t dislike the play call. If Kaep is supposed to be the next Brady, he should make plays like that no problem with the game on the line. But he did the worst possible thing, give up a TD that ended up being 8 points. Kaepernick needs to win this Miami game with good football. Pick a play that you’ve practiced, make it happen. Otherwise, throw it away. No more scrambling nonsense. Design bootlegs if you have an itch to scramble.

Justin

Consensus: Put the frigging #1 QB back in the game and finish the year 13-3 (or 12-3-1) again.

Or am I several weeks too late?

snsf49loyal

I also noticed, that they (Rams) were lining up “eight in the box” daring 49ers to throw most of the game. Let’s give them some credit, Jeff Fisher out coached Jim Harbaugh and his staff twice in two weeks. As a 49ers fan, I hope he (Fisher) did not provide a blue print to other teams in the NFL as how to keep Kaeprnick in check. Only time would tell, rest is all talk. I hope the niners win the division and beyond.

whocares

It’s refreshing to hear what the OC had to say or not say about the play.

Risky call? Probably, but as he seems to allude, it comes down to the execution of many parts. Unfortunately, the parts were out of sync and the worse case scenario occurred. Lesson learned, move on…

Go Niners!

Common Sense

Understatement of the Year Award goes to …… Roman, OC of the Niners for “The result was not the intent of the play call.” gee, turnover & TD. Ya think?

Niner

I agree w the comments, he should man up , it was a cruddy play. Ol can’t block & your pitching it to guy who fumbled last week for having a bad wrist. ( who was so lousy the dolphins cut him after a couple of years). Good news, if he interviews like this, he’s not going anywhere for a while. He can leave after out 7 th sb, what do you think?

Getoverit

Obviously if it wasn’t a dumb call the NFL and Espn and sportswriters wouldn’t be saying that shit. It WAS a dumb call. Because it was a risky call. And the game was over. The defense hadn’t let a TD the whole game. They weren’t about to.

Niner Faithful

It’s all about execution. The play was blown by Kaepernick. Roman and Harbaugh believed that CK would execute the play and that’s why they called it. But Kaepernick couldn’t deliver. He accepted 100% of the responsibility for blowing the play. A better pitch and Ginn would have gone for a big gain. Harbaugh is just covering for CK. Roman is not willing to do so and is also not willing to take any of the blame because in the end, it wasn’t the play at all, it was CK who couldn’t execute.

WiserThanHarbaugh

Lets call the play as it was. Terrible execution by a rookie QB. Plain and simple. Why can’t you ‘Kap is better now than AS’ cheerleaders admit he is not ready for PrimeTime.

joethejet

Any time you pitch the ball, whether it be a toss sweep or an option late in the game you’re taking a HUGE risk. Given the spot on the field it was a call that should have NEVER been made. You just don’t put the ball in the air. You hand it off and keep the clock running. Make them drive 60 yards for a TD in less than three minutes but you just don’t take that chance. Roman should know better.

Maybe he was trying to say that Kap was supposed to keep it and if that’s the case I would excuse him, but doesn’t sound like Kap was told not to pitch the ball.

Really?

@bobswire “had the play developed as planned he’d be referred” That’s the point it was a high risk play that did not need to be called. Other than sycophantic fans, who else supports that call? No one. It was the wrong play to call. It’s that simple.

He’s arrogant because he does not admit it was the wrong play. Of course the outcome was not the intent…you think…but you don’t put your team in a high risk situation.

You might want to educate yourself on football.

Really?

Of course Moss is not Moss of old but the 49ers added him for a reason. They believe he can play up to a high level – they expressed that during the preseason or did you miss that.

The point being is they bring in Moss and Manningham and continue to have a vanilla passing game. Seriously the criticism about the 49ers was their passing game – they needed to open it up. So they bring in wide receivers to upgrade the passing game and the play calling is still the same. The fact that Roman is fixated on the option and not creating more vertical plays is scary.

You put Crabtree, Moss and Manningham on the field at the same time, there’s going to be a mismatch.

We haven’t seen that. Which tells me Roman can’t exploit the talent of this team.

Really?

@WiserThanHarbaugh I agree, Kap has cooled off. It’s time to put Smith back in. I don’t think it was a bad idea to play Kap – certainly not for the two games. But the 3rd seemed the right time to put Alex back in and see what happens. If Alex is having problems then you play Kap. But Kap has gone from Hot to luke-warm to cold.

I don’t relish the matchup in New England.

Ron

Besides that play, overall the play calling was much too conservative. Run-run-pass will not cut it in the playoffs.

Ron

Does Kap have the freedom to change the play at the line of scrimmage? This play the Rams had a three man line. If you are going to be conservative and run a checkoff to something between the tackles was in order. 1st and 10 on their 34 in OT. The Rams stack 8 in the box, checkoff to pass with one on one coverage. At some point the QB needs to be trusted to make plays!

chunky

For those hedging on Harbaugh’s expertise in sticking with CK, remind us again how Alex has performed against either elite or plus defenses? This isn’t to knock Alex’s performance and dedication to his teammates and craft — simply an observance of his limitations and tendencies.

Those suggesting a switch back to AS “to see what happens” with CK as the fail-safe should he struggle in his return, have it backward, IMO. Unless QB carousel-ling back to a neophyte QB heading toward the playoffs sounds like a winning formula to you?

Implicit or explicitly pointing to CK as “THE” reason the team lost last week is weak. 11 penalties committed, a blatantly dropped TD on a beautifully placed ball in the clutch, piss-poor offensive adjustments (a lack thereof) and horrible playcalling were the real culprits in last week’s game. What should be noted is that, despite two egregious mistakes, CK came right back and positioned his team for the win.

Thinking that at a QB heading into his third career start would be infallible is silly. Did anyone really believe/expect CK to go undefeated down the stretch? This is about a long-view. Yes, a first-round bye and homefield advantage is at stake. That said, Harbaugh (resident QB-Whisperer, see: Josh Johnson, Andrew Luck & AS’s reclamation) is utilizing this final quarter of the season to get CK up to speed while ironing out the mistakes that would otherwise spell death in the playoff tourney.

I’d guess that Harbaugh is banking on CK’s reportedly uber-competitive nature, studious nature and incredible measurables to align in time to carry this team to the next level; film has allowed teams to adjust, and like a baseball pitcher, CK will need to adjust back. Safe to guess gameplans/playcalls that suit Kap’s strengths and abilities will continue to evolve.

This ain’t a game for the weak of heart, so quit freaking out and support the coaching staff that’s positioned this team among the elite of the league — and remember what we endured for the decade prior.

Really?

@chunky I think the issue with Harbaugh is his unwillingness to name Kap the starter. Instead he used the “hot hand” excuse to start Kap over Smith. This was fine for the Saints game but after the Rams game it’s clear Kap is no longer hot.

Kap looked completely lost in overtime. His misses were awful.

If Harbaugh believes in Kap then make him the starter. But if we are basing the decision on performance, Kap is no longer hot and Smith should start.

You gambled in the Rams game and lost. The margins are too thin to gamble again.

A couple more losses and the 49ers will be in the wild card spot.

snsf49loyal

I believe Harbaugh thinks that Miami may be a ‘weak’ team. Kaepernick should play well enough to earn another start. However, I see problem next week, Tom Brady Vs Kaepernick! Bill Belichick Vs second year NFL coach Jim Harbaugh. When Jeff Fisher can out coach JH what will BB do in NE. I agree with #20 @Really? if we fool around too much with this QB stuff, Seattle is going to catch up (although I hope not) and 49ers would have to settle for a wild card; meaning good bye 2012 season. But then again, “that why you play the game”.

chunky

@Really

“Officially” naming CK the starter and/or the “hot hand” argument are matters of semantics, really. What about Harbs’ “Alex is elite,” “we have five #1 WRs” or “Crabs’ best hands ever” comments? Harbaugh takes the cake in hyperbole/misdirection and doesn’t care what anyone outside of his locker room thinks of it. Fact is, CK is the starter and JH’s statement ensure that Alex remains engaged, prepared and at the ready should CK’s performance(s) spiral toward substandard.

I won’t rehash the “why’s” of the Rams game failure, but your comments infer that you think CK was the reason we lost. He had missteps, no question, but the yoke of that loss hangs elsewhere.

Thin margins? What say you about AS’s stat line against the Seahawks in the first match of ’12? His performance was subpar, period. Despite 130 yards from Gore and they typical gritty, hard-hitting effort from our defense, Smith managed only 140 yards, 1 TD and 1 INT, at home, no less. If this is what we’ve come to expect from AS against elite / plus-defenses, I believe Harbaugh & Co. are willing to gamble on CK cutting his teeth now, cleaning up his mistakes along the way and allowing for much greater margins for error when it’s win-or-go-home time. Safe and steady (AS) may make for nice pelts (reg. season wins), but Smith’s eight-year career sample-size and Harbaugh’s current decision suggest we’d all be left wanting more from the QB position when the playoffs dictate as much.

I’m willing to put my chips all in on Harbaugh, given his track record.

chunky

@snsf49loyal

Yeah, because wild-card teams can’t win the Super Bowl. smh

chunky

Had Delanie Walker hauled in what would’ve essentially been the game-winning TD or Akers’ overtime FG stayed true, I wonder to what end fans would be bemoaning the ‘Niners current QB situation?

Loren

Intent vs Result on the LOW HANGING FRUIT PLAY…….!!!…..does the NFL do random DRUG TEST OF COACHES ?.:)…..if its not STUBBORNNESS , ARROGANT OR BEING STUPID …may be SECOND HAND SMOKING affecting the locker room ……one of the niners player was BUSTED FOR SMOKING POT THAT WEEK …Marihuana ..M M.MM..mmmM.to relieve pain for Akers PELVIS INJURY MAYBE ?…. welcome Freddy KICKER Soft !!!! 🙂

Loren

WHAT S THE DEAL ?….Coach Pete Carroll will send GIFTS AKA REFUND OF MY PAID PLAYOFF INVOICE TO THE NINERS ….courtesy Greg Roman and David Akers…so i can buy more PHILLYcheese steak..PHilLY Eagles released AKERS FOR THE SAME DISEASE !!!… niners too arrogant to release him ..hoping Kaep could made up for those missed KICKs.!!!!. …no doubts the EGO of the niners coaching staffs if bigger than their…EGO my LEGo !!!!…coincidently there will be no CRABs in FRISCO the fishermen on strike..and no CRABtree :)….the playoff be likely play in SEATTLE !!

Loren

NO BODY WILL ADMIT THE RIGHT OR WRONG …or BEING ARROGANT…Being under influence or HIGH In eupheria….WHEN SMOKING THAT STUFF..MMMMM MMMM 🙂

Michael Kenney

I like Harbaugh getting Kaep ready for post season, but his arrogance is peaking through. There are times to win games and times to experiment. Know the difference. Don’t go p-soft